WWUTT 944 He Has Established His Throne for Justice?

Psalm 9 as a Victory Song of Thanksgiving

The Lord God is a righteous judge and he looks out for his people. He will protect us not only from our enemies on the outside But even those who would rise up against us from within when we understand the text.

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Once again is pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you Becky.

We continue with our study of the Psalms and I'm gonna attempt to pick up the pace a little bit. We'll at least get through Psalms 9 and 10 today since these two Psalms go together. If you were to read this in the Septuagint, which is the Greek version of the Old Testament or in the Latin Psalms 9 and 10 are just one Psalm.

You'll notice in the English even as we read it in English here that 10 picks up right where 9 leaves off. But even though there's some similarities There's also some differences and we'll talk about that as we go through this in the Hebrew.

These two Psalms are an acrostic that means it's kind of a word puzzle going on. Each line begins with a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It's not quite a perfect acrostic. But this can be done as both a memory tool and it's also a form of poetry.

And we're gonna lose that of course reading it in English. But understand that that was very meaningful for a Hebrew to review these Psalms in such a way to cherish the language in that Form that's just one of the the kinds of things that we lose.

Reading the translation that we have we get we get the meaning of the psalm where we certainly don't lose that. Translating it from Hebrew into English, but some of the neat little nuances and poetic patterns and things like that.

We don't quite grasp that it plays on words even sometimes it works in Hebrew doesn't work as well in English. Anyway, so let's read through Psalm 9. I'm gonna read just the first few verses here and then we'll pause.

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. I will recount all of your wondrous deeds. I will be glad and exult in you. I will sing praise to your name. Oh most high. When my enemies turn back they stumble and perish before your presence for you have maintained my just cause.

You have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment. You have rebuked the nation's you have made the wicked perish. You have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in Everlasting ruins their cities you rooted out the very memory of them has perished.

And then there's a bit of a turn when we jump into verse 7. So let's just review that so far those first six verses. So we begin with David saying I give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart and isn't that what the Lord?

Requires of us that we love him with all of our heart soul mind and strength. So as David makes his appeal before the Lord here in this particular Psalm He is. He is presenting before the Lord that I love you with Everything and praises his name as Oh Most High if you'll remember back to last week chapter 8.

Psalm 8. Where David begins? Oh Lord our Lord. He repeats the name twice. He says Oh Yahweh our Lord. He who reigns on high who is sovereign over all over all of creation and then beholds the creation.

The work of God's hands. So we still kind of have that theme even following into Psalm 9. Worshiping God as creator of all things since he is judge over all so David praised God as creator of all and then in Psalm 9 as Judge over all and the reason why God is judge over all is because he's created all so both praises kind of flow together Between these two Psalms.

Now David is actually praising God for a victory in this particular Psalm. So the enemies have already been Destroyed when my enemies turn back they stumble and perish before your presence for you have maintained My just cause and you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.

God's righteous judgment is the reason why David's cause is Just because God has judged David to be faithful and has given his favor Upon the king that sits on the throne of Israel. You have rebuked the nation's you have made the wicked perish.

You have blotted out their name. Forever and ever now. This is something that God has said even in his law that those who have transgressed the law. Those whom God has ruled to destroy he will blot out their name forever.

Now I remember one time having a conversation with and I'm pretty sure this guy was an atheist. I know he was definitely a skeptic critical of the Bible. But anyway, he said have you ever heard of an Amalekite before.

And I said, well, yeah, certainly. It's one of the enemies of Israel in the Bible and he said right because the Bible is wrong and I'm going okay. Not really quite sure how you draw that conclusion and he said well because God said I will blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven and yet we all know who the Amalekites are.

The Amalekites are mentioned in the Bible and I said to him here was my reply. I said, can you introduce me to an Amalekite? And he was kind of I don't. I don't know. I mean are there Amalekites on earth?

I said no because the memory of them has been blotted out from under heaven. There are no more Amalekites that nation does not exist on earth because God did what he said he was going to do. He was gonna blot out the memory of them from other under heaven.

There would not even be an heir to the throne of Amalek. There's no one left to carry on the name of that King and the name of that nation. They're gone and yet, you know of the nation of Israel to this day it exists.

You can point to it on a map because the Bible says I will leave a remnant Romans chapter 11 except their hearts are gonna be. So Israel does exist, but they do not follow after Christ because of their heart and hearts.

But God said I will blot out the memory of Amalek. You cannot find a descendant of Amalek on earth because the memory of him has been blotted out. This doesn't mean that the name is gonna cease to exist and we're never even going to know that such a people existed.

It's a figure of speech. Meaning that there will be no descendants of this nation and you won't be able to travel to the place of the Amalekites Here on planet earth. You can't do it. Of course. He said that that was a convenient argument but he was bound and determined that the Bible contradicted itself because Amalek was supposed to be blotted out from under heaven and yet his name is still in the Bible.

Anyway, clearly somebody doesn't understand context. But this is the same sort of a thing that David is is saying here as God had said in the law. That I will blot out their name forever and ever. So David has said you have done this for my enemies.

The enemy came to an end in Everlasting ruins. Never to rise again never to to regroup and try to come against David and enact vengeance. David's victory is so total that he's able to be at peace. He is at comfort and God's people are safe.

Their cities you rooted out. David says the very memory of them has perished. No one is gonna look upon that nation with fondness. Because they're they're gone. No one is gonna envy that people they were utterly destroyed.

God as the Righteous Judge Who Protects the Oppressed

Verse 7 but the Lord sits enthroned forever. He has established his throne for justice and he judges the world with righteousness. He judges the people's with uprightness. With rightness all of the ways of God are good is essentially what David is saying here.

And again, this even goes back to the law in the book of Deuteronomy where it says his work is perfect for all his ways are Justice a just God is he. Deuteronomy 32 for God again. Is the one who is judge over all because he has created all and David recognized that.

Recognizes that in his praises and worships the Lord for all of his wonderful attributes. But not only is the Lord a conqueror a judge he is also verse 9 a stronghold for the oppressed a Stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you for you. Oh Lord have not forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the Lord who sits enthroned in Zion. Tell among the people's his deeds for he who avenges blood is Mindful of them.

He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Now we're talking about those people's who have been affected by these enemies. David has conquered the enemies. He's destroyed them and the enemies that we're talking about here in particular in Psalm 9 are Gentile enemies.

That's it. That's an important distinction because the identity of the enemy changes when we get to Psalm 10 and remember both of these psalms flow together. So the Gentile enemies have come against the Jews and they've been somewhat successful.

I mean when you have a war being fought between two nations, there's gonna be losses on both sides. So even though David has struck down these enemies with the Lord's help and the memory of them has been blotted out from under heaven.

Nevertheless the people of Israel have sustained losses and so there are people now who are oppressed because the the men the head of the household they died in battle and now you have widows and orphans but David says that God avenges blood and he is mindful of those who have been wronged in this way that the loved one the Provider of their house has been taken and he does not forget the cry of the afflicted Be gracious to me.

Oh Lord See my affliction from those who hate me. Oh you who lift me up from the gates of death that I may recount all your praises. That in the gates of the daughter of Zion, I may rejoice in your salvation daughter of Zion, so even though The the kingdom of Israel has been successful against these enemies and was the mighty warrior between the two of them Israel was the one who was mighty nevertheless before God when compared to God and his might and His ways and his justice.

Zion is but a daughter to the great father over all and So David is asking that you look upon the condition of Zion After a battle like this kind and see that we are but a needy daughter. That is that is in need of your Benevolence verse 15 the nations have sunk in the pit that they made in the net that they That they hid their own foot has been caught.

The Lord has made himself known He has executed judgment. The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. The wicked shall return to Sheol all the nations that forget God for the needy shall not always be forgotten and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

A Rise. Oh Lord, let not man prevail. Let the nations be judged before you put them in fear. Oh Lord Let the nations know that they are but men. This is not a king sitting on his throne imagining himself to be God.

Which is what a lot of those pagan nations did especially when we're talking about Gentiles. Such as the enemies that David had just struck down, but they aren't gods. They're but puny men and David is saying remind them that they are but men lest they blaspheme the Lord God by exalting themselves.

The Wicked Within Israel and the Cry for Justice

So here we go into Psalm 10 and once again Psalm 9 and 10 are one Psalm they kind of flow together, but the enemy the identity of the enemy in Psalm 10 changes as Opposed to the Gentiles in Psalm 9 the enemy in Psalm 10 is actually fellow Israelites.

Let's continue with that. So Psalm 10 verse 1 why. Oh Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble in? Arrogance. The wicked hotly pursue the poor. Let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul and the one greedy for gain. Curses and renounces the Lord in the pride of his face. The wicked does not seek him. All his thoughts are. There is no God.

His ways prosper at all times. Your judgments are on high out of his sight as for all his foes. He puffs at them. He says in his heart. I shall not be moved throughout all generations. I shall not meet adversity.

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression. Under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages in hiding places. He murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless.

He lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket. He lurks that he may seize the poor. He seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. The helpless are crushed. Sink down and fall by his might. He says in his heart.

God is forgotten. He has hidden his face. He will never see it. Arise, Oh Lord. Oh God lift up your hand. Forget not the afflicted. Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart you will not call to account?

But you do see for you note mischief and vexation. That you may take it into your hands to you the helpless commits himself. You have been the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer.

Call his wickedness to account till you find none. The Lord is King forever and ever. The nations perish from his land. Oh Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted you will strengthen their heart. You will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed.

So that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Now verses 16 17 and 18 are kind of a summary of both of those Psalms and we'll get to that here in just a moment. I'm not quite gonna go through this line by line, but we'll jump back through and summarize some things.

No, and I don't know how closely you remember when we went through. Job doesn't seem like that long ago. But yet it was a long time ago but some of the things that we're reading here about the wicked in Psalm 10 are the same way that Job described the wicked when he talked about how they prosper and they oppress and they take advantage of the poor.

Job lamented those things and Job was written long before the Psalms and so David is even recounting words of someone among the patriarchs like Job who lamented the ways of The of the wicked they the way that the wicked rich man would oppress the righteous or the pious poor man.

Not by the way, not all poor are Righteous, which is kind of the way our culture wants you to think of there or at least those who have socialism in mind. They want you to think of all rich people is evil and all poor people are inherently good.

That's not the way that works. That would be showing partiality. In fact, which the law Strongly forbids so we're talking specifically about that greedy rich person who has nothing but riches on his heart and taking advantage of those to make himself better and Then the person who is pious before God and trust in the Lord before everything but doesn't have as much wealth.

So we're talking about not just an economic position but also a spiritual position. Where Tom when we're talking about the difference between this Rick this wicked rich man and The pious poor man, so here once again in arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor.

Let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. Everything that is in chapter 9 is past tense. The enemy has already been conquered. He's already been destroyed and David says that they have been caught in the net that they laid for themselves.

Well here is David is talking about a judgment that needs to come upon the wicked person who takes advantage of the poor even within Their own nation. He's asking that the same thing would happen for these wicked people that happen for the wicked Gentiles.

This guy's laying a snare to take advantage of and manipulate people and may he instead fall into his own snare. May become evident to everyone who it is. That's oppressing others so that his wicked deeds would be exposed and he is able to be judged.

Now David as the king over Israel, it's gonna be his responsibility as a Judge over Israel a God-appointed judge to issue judgment on this person who is taking advantage of the poor. Remember that the Psalms are public songs.

So Psalm 10 would have been a song that David would it would have? Encouraged the people of Israel to sing in worship. While let's say an investigation was going on or a wicked man was being brought to trial or David was having to issue judgment upon a person who was found guilty of taking advantage of the poor.

In which case this would be the song that Israel would sing. So that God's righteous judgment would be done in Israel. David as a righteous king. Following the law of God. The wicked boasts of the desires of his soul and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.

He says in his heart. There is no God. Why is it that he does such wicked things even among the people who have been called out of slavery by God and Given a promised land and God's favor is upon them.

Why would a man act so wickedly when God has given them so much? Because in his heart he has decided God's not really there. He has forgotten all the promises that had been given to Israel. He's forgotten the blessings and curses.

He's forgotten the issuance of the law and that those who keep the law will Continue in the favor of God. He has said in his heart There is no God down to verse 7. His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

Then down in verse 11, he says in his heart God has forgotten he has hidden his face. He will never see it. So it's like this person is saying God's forgotten all about the blessings and curses. Part of Deuteronomy.

Yeah that part where it says that if I disobey the law all this will happen to me. Yeah, he's forgotten about all that that was for a different time and a different place and a different people. But that God is not with us anymore.

It's almost like he's like a deist anti-theonomist. He believes that God did give the law may say such a thing may continue to show piety in the temple stuff like that, but he doesn't actually believe that God is still with his people and Enforcing that law or that God is with David who is bringing judgment upon the wicked person in his own land.

So in verse 13, it goes on. Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart you will not call to account. But you do see you note the mischief and vexation. That you may take it into your hands to you the helpless commits himself.

You have been the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer call his wickedness to account till you find none. Break his arm so that he's no longer able to manipulate people and That we may know who this wicked guy is because his arm is out of joint.

And then we have the summary of both Psalms 9 and 10 in the last three verses. The Lord is King forever and ever so he reigns over Israel. He reigns leading Israel into battle against enemies the kings of other nations.

And he is also the righteous judge over his own people in Israel. The nation's perish from his land. There's the reference to the nation's Oh Lord. You hear the desire of the afflicted those who have been afflicted by other nations and even by their own people.

You will strengthen their heart. You will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed and we've had fatherless and oppressed mentioned in both Psalms whether made fatherless by Gentiles or even by Oppressive Jews who in their hearts have said God is not even there To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed so that man who is of the earth may strike terror.

No more be he Jew or Gentile and so the Lord will deal with us the same way. He is protecting us from our enemies on the outside like those who are not Part of the church at all do not profess faith in Christ in any way.

He is gonna deliver us from their wrath. And then he's also delivering us from wolves that come from within people who claim to be followers of Christ but instead they are accusers of the brethren and they beat their fellow servants the the parable that Jesus gave in Matthew 24.

When Jesus returns He's gonna bind them and cast them out with the hypocrites where there will be Weeping and gnashing of teeth. So you who worship the Lord fear his name and Exalt his name. Amen.

Closing Exhortation and Ministry Sign-Off

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